Voices + Evidence: What’s Moving the Needle (Vol. 1, No. 3)
- Leaders Up
-03.png/v1/fill/w_320,h_320/file.jpg)
- Dec 19
- 2 min read
By Crissy Chung
The Shift | Vol. 1, No. 3 – Liberating Radical Imagination
Across every sector, young adults are stepping into systems that were never really built with them in mind. They are entering a world shaped by rising living costs, shifting demographics, and pathways into education and work that feel narrower and more uncertain than ever. And yet, they remain the heartbeat of our regional economy. In Los Angeles, BIPOC young adults are often the only part of the workforce that is growing. They are carrying the future, even when the future doesn’t always make space for them.
In our work across the region, young adults have been clear: the challenge isn’t that they are unprepared. It’s that the systems around them don’t match the reality they’re living in. They describe pathways that don’t connect to real opportunity, wages that can’t support basic stability, and careers that feel out of reach no matter how hard they try. When you listen closely, it reminds us that economic mobility is not simply about earning a degree or checking the right boxes, but about the structural barriers young people face every day.
This is where radical imagination becomes more than a concept. It becomes a way of paying attention. It asks us to listen differently, to take seriously the wisdom that comes from lived experience, and to question the old stories we’ve been told about success, effort, and opportunity. It reminds us that young people shouldn’t have to twist themselves to fit systems that aren’t working. Instead, our systems should be reshaped to reflect the truth of their lives and the possibilities they see for themselves.
The voices we’ve heard throughout our work point us toward what this evolution can look like. When young adults share their experiences, they are not simply offering feedback. They are offering a kind of direction that our region has long needed. They show us that economic empowerment isn’t only about income. It’s also about belonging, dignity, and the ability to influence the future you’re being asked to build.
The sectors and industries that power Los Angeles depend on the very talent young adults represent today. To build a future-proof regional economy, systems must not only listen but actively design with young adults as co-architects of policy and innovation. When young people are recognized as partners rather than subjects, and when we honor their knowledge and leadership, we begin creating the conditions for a region where everyone has a real chance to thrive.
Resources:
Crissy Chung is the Head of Insights, Research and Evaluation at LeadersUp, driving our research initiatives and insights collection strategies.
Comments